Renowned missionary compared opponents of the sermon among rockers to Pharisees

Moscow, October 31, Interfax – Renowned missionary Hegumen Sergy (Rybko) compared those who oppose missionary activity among unformal youth to Pharisees and urged them to follow the will of Russian Church hierarchs.

In his interview to Interfax-Religion Fr. Sergy reminded that “Pharisees often blamed Christ for turning his sermon not to a certain elite, but to everyone without distinction – to gentiles, publicans, whores and leading them to repentance.”

“Pharisees - people, who respected the letter of law, stressed their elitism and believed Christianity was only for them. Apostles and martyrs heard the same reproaches. There’s nothing new under the sun. St. Vitaly preached in brothels. So, brothels are all right, while young people are under ban?” the priest asked.

Speaking about rock-culture, the missionary pointed out that rock “originally opposed many canons of this world, evil, injustice... Rockers position themselves as fighters against basis of this world.”

“Christianity is also fighting against evil of the world. We agree in it and I try show rockers that their protest finds all answers in Orthodoxy. There’s a direct way from any unformality, any riot to Christ,” Fr. Sergy summed up.

He was decorated with the Russian Church order for missionary activity among unformal youth.

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